New 5.0 Electric Upgrade Diagram

[Jack!]

Don't have the new 5.0 yet, but have all the batteries & components ready to go for Feb. Holding off on getting wires, fuses, & other smalls until we see what the trailer has & can be used. BTW, Thornwave is different and does not go on the Negative side.
Any suggestions?

[rubicon327]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Just food for thought - this is what AM Solar does with 4 BattleBorn's and a Lynx distributor. Leveraging the individual fuses in the Lynx for the parallel battery arrangement may have some advantages.
https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...LIBBBMV400.pdf

Also attached is another neat way to implement 4 batteries with a fused buss, battery monitoring and a second fused buss for all loads/charge sources. This is something I would have considered if I didn't have a single 400AH Bestgo lithium battery with all positive connections direct to battery and negative connections direct to load side of Victron BMV-712 shunt.

[Centex]

Maybe just me but I'm having trouble understanding how the Lynx Distributor is used from your pictorial diagram.

T'would be most helpful IMO if you used the Victron Lynx Distributor Internal Wiring Diagram rather than than that to show your intended schematic / connections to the Lynx.

Noting you show a 30A fuse in the Lynx Distributor, and it uses Mega format fuses, can you get a 30A Mega format fuse?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Centex

T'would be most helpful IMO if you used the Victron Lynx Distributor Internal Wiring Diagram rather than than that to show your intended schematic / connections to the Lynx.

Yes, but all of the positive connections other than the one to the switch and batteries are obviously for the fused circuits, right?

Originally Posted by Centex

Noting you show a 30A fuse in the Lynx Distributor, and it uses Mega format fuses, can you get a 30A Mega format fuse?

Good catch - the lowest rating in the Littelfuse Mega line is 40 amps. That one circuit (from one of the solar charge controllers) can just use a 40 amp fuse with no change in wire gauge.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Just food for thought - this is what AM Solar does with 4 BattleBorn's and a Lynx distributor. Leveraging the individual fuses in the Lynx for the parallel battery arrangement may have some advantages.
https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...LIBBBMV400.pdf

Also attached is another neat way to implement 4 batteries with a fused buss, battery monitoring and a second fused buss for all loads/charge sources. This is something I would have considered if I didn't have a single 400AH Bestgo lithium battery with all positive connections direct to battery and negative connections direct to load side of Victron BMV-712 shunt.

That Lynx system certainly is tidy.
Of course, you have to decide if Mega fuses are fast-acting enough to be a main battey fuses; one would also have to decide if they have enough current-interrupting capacity, although handling only a single 100 Ah battery with each fuse certainly helps with that.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

That Lynx system certainly is tidy.
Of course, you have to decide if Mega fuses are fast-acting enough to be a main battey fuses; one would also have to decide if they have enough current-interrupting capacity, although handling only a single 100 Ah battery with each fuse certainly helps with that.

With regards to fusing how do feel about a single 400A fuse on the OP’s diagram. Is that really the right size? What type is recommended?

[Jack!]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Just food for thought - this is what AM Solar does with 4 BattleBorn's and a Lynx distributor. Leveraging the individual fuses in the Lynx for the parallel battery arrangement may have some advantages.
https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...LIBBBMV400.pdf

Also attached is another neat way to implement 4 batteries with a fused buss, battery monitoring and a second fused buss for all loads/charge sources. This is something I would have considered if I didn't have a single 400AH Bestgo lithium battery with all positive connections direct to battery and negative connections direct to load side of Victron BMV-712 shunt.

Very interesting use of Lynx. Thanks for the info. Went this route after BB recomended positive on Bat 1 and negative on Bat 4 for balance purposes, as I understand things. One Lynx is my upper limit at this point.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

With regards to fusing how do feel about a single 400A fuse on the OP’s diagram. Is that really the right size? What type is recommended?

It's greater than the total capacity of the distribution block fuses (and much greater than the total capacity of the load fuses), so it is certainly high enough. It's lower than the capacity of the shunt and cables, so it's low enough. Looks good to me.

I won't reopen the current-interrupting capacity discussion, as nothing has changed.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jack!

Went this route after BB recomended positive on Bat 1 and negative on Bat 4 for balance purposes, as I understand things

That's good advice, but I think the logic of the Lynx combiner is that the bus bar resistance is so low that the order of the battery connections to it is not important.

[Jack!]

Originally Posted by Centex

Maybe just me but I'm having trouble understanding how the Lynx Distributor is used from your pictorial diagram.

T'would be most helpful IMO if you used the Victron Lynx Distributor Internal Wiring Diagram rather than than that to show your intended schematic / connections to the Lynx.

Noting you show a 30A fuse in the Lynx Distributor, and it uses Mega format fuses, can you get a 30A Mega format fuse?

Perhaps in my next life as an Electrician I may be able to do that diagram but for now my diagram will help me not cross wires & burn it down while installing this stuff when we get the trailer. I still need to see what ETI has done, as well.

Thanks for pointing out the fuse matter. Good info! Perhaps that's a mental slip and I should be thinking more about wire protection and not component power outputs. In that case the Mega fuses would work:
150amp 2agm
100amp 6agm
400amp 4/0
Some are doing a work-arounds using smaller Midi fuses with a Lynx by attaching a copper bar extensions. Either smaller or bigger fuses can work that way depending upon what's being protected, I guess.
Extensions: 44mm long, 11mm wide; 3-6mm thick.
Thank for the pointers & discussion everyone! Very helpful
for this Escape rookie.

[Jack!]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

That's good advice, but I think the logic of the Lynx combiner is that the bus bar resistance is so low that the order of the battery connections to it is not important.

Good added bit of info to consider. Will wait to see the available space, as the jumpers are the sure thing.
Still need to sort out if the Lynx fuses are protecting equipment or protecting wires. I think the later.
Also, need to sort out wire gauge I should use for the equipment ground to chassis. I think the rule is one size smaller than the largest wire on the distributor, so looks like 3/0 or just get extra 2/0. I don't think the battery side matters and the Thornwave uses a small 1/4" male blade connector to chassis ground or battery negative.
Thanks much!

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

That's good advice, but I think the logic of the Lynx combiner is that the bus bar resistance is so low that the order of the battery connections to it is not important.

Exactly. If I was building around 4 BattleBorn lithium’s and one Lynx I would be inclined to use it like AM Solar does to simplify parallel battery interconnection. Just personal preference and not to say at all that the proposed layout is not perfectly suitable.

[Jack!]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Exactly. If I was building around 4 BattleBorn lithium’s and one Lynx I would be inclined to use it like AM Solar does to simplify parallel battery interconnection. Just personal preference and not to say at all that the proposed layout is not perfectly suitable.

Great points and now knowing battery1/battery4 connection requirement with jumpers is not important using Lynx bars perhaps an added Lynx Power-In would fit well with my planned use of the distributer. The Lynx distributor looks to comes in at less cost than putting together standard busbars in a similar way. The Power-In is much less cost than second distributor. Lots to consider here and seeing space available could change things again. Thanks for the expert help. Certainly eye-opening discussion and some great added ideas to consider.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jack!

... The Power-In is much less cost than second distributor.

If I understood the product descriptions correctly, the Power-In is the Distributor minus the fuses and fuse monitoring (so it's less expensive). The monitoring might be a luxury, but using the Distributor to combine inputs from batteries would avoid the need for a separate fuse holder for each battery... if you assess the Distributor-as-combiner to be close enough to the battery to be a safe location for battery main battery fuses. Otherwise... yes, the Power-In is a tidy bus bar system for combining inputs from each battery's fuse, and less expensive than a Distributor.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

... The [Lynx Distributor fuse] monitoring might be a luxury ...

With regard to the fuse status monitoring feature, please note this from the manual (Section 3.3):

"The Lynx Distributor does not have an in-build power supply to supply its fuse detection circuit, it relies on this power to be supplied from a Lynx Shunt VE.Can or a Lynx Smart BMS via the RJ10 cable. If the Lynx Distributor is used without a Lynx Shunt VE.Can or a Lynx Smart BMS, it needs to be powered in an alternative way, so that the fuse detection circuit is operational.

To power the RJ10 cable for standalone use do the following:
• Connect pin 1 of the RJ10 connector to 5V (4.5V-5.5V).
• Connect pin 4 to GND.

The RJ10 connection is not protected against reverse polarity. A wrong RJ10 connection can irreversibly damage the Lynx Distributor’s electronic circuits."

Just FYI. Yes, I agree that fuse monitoring feature is just a "luxury", not a necessity, but it is part of the cost of the unit and might be useful for trouble shooting given the fuses have an opaque cover which precludes easy direct visual status inspection (the cover must be unscrewed / removed).

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Centex

With regard to the fuse status monitoring feature, please note this from the manual (Section 3.3):

"The Lynx Distributor does not have an in-build power supply to supply its fuse detection circuit, it relies on this power to be supplied from a Lynx Shunt VE.Can or a Lynx Smart BMS via the RJ10 cable. If the Lynx Distributor is used without a Lynx Shunt VE.Can or a Lynx Smart BMS, it needs to be powered in an alternative way, so that the fuse detection circuit is operational.

To power the RJ10 cable for standalone use do the following:
• Connect pin 1 of the RJ10 connector to 5V (4.5V-5.5V).
• Connect pin 4 to GND.

The RJ10 connection is not protected against reverse polarity. A wrong RJ10 connection can irreversibly damage the Lynx Distributor’s electronic circuits."

Just FYI. Yes, I agree that fuse monitoring feature is just a "luxury", not a necessity.

Another general FYI as it appears that Jack! is not intending to go this direction...
"The choice between a Lynx Shunt VE.Can or a Lynx Smart BMS depends on what type of batteries are used in the system. The Lynx Smart BMS can only be used with the Victron Energy Lithium Smart Batteries, while the Lynx Shunt VE.Can is suitable for all other batteries."

[Centex]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Another general FYI as it appears that Jack! is not intending to go this direction...

Understood, thus my note lest there be disappointment upon discovery that the fuse monitoring feature is inoperable. With apology if that was already fully understood by the OP.

[Jack!]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

If I understood the product descriptions correctly, the Power-In is the Distributor minus the fuses and fuse monitoring (so it's less expensive). The monitoring might be a luxury, but using the Distributor to combine inputs from batteries would avoid the need for a separate fuse holder for each battery... if you assess the Distributor-as-combiner to be close enough to the battery to be a safe location for battery main battery fuses. Otherwise... yes, the Power-In is a tidy bus bar system for combining inputs from each battery's fuse, and less expensive than a Distributor.

I think what's happening is that the distributor usage has expanded from it's original stated purpose for just battery connectivity to added uses, such as this plan connecting together my other components. I think I still like connecting the batteries via jumpers, as I expect space constraints (will see). Think I like having the battery connection going immediately thru a main T-Type fuse of sufficient size, then to the positive type shunt, then to the main switch. There is a method to add fuses holders on a Power-In, minus the monitoring & still at lower cost.
There are some interesting expanded distributor uses seen on these and other install videos. Liking a lot of these ideas.

[Jack!]

Originally Posted by Centex

With regard to the fuse status monitoring feature, please note this from the manual.

To power the RJ10 cable for standalone use do the following:
• Connect pin 1 of the RJ10 connector to 5V (4.5V-5.5V).
• Connect pin 4 to GND.

Exactly. There's also a good video on making the 12V to 5v jumper partly using provided parts from the distributor.
https://youtu.be/8h-E1lkYCKg

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Jack!

.... I like having the battery connection going immediately thru a main T-Type fuse of sufficient size ...

FWIW I like that approach, too (for the rapid response and high current interrupt it provides in case of a gross downstream terminal-short accident or similar)

Originally Posted by Jack!

Exactly. There's also a good video on making the 12V to 5v jumper partly using provided parts from the distributor.
https://youtu.be/8h-E1lkYCKg